fengsel experience!

It was a little of a strange experience to visit the 'fengsel' or jails here. Well, I haven't been to one in my own country, and here i was 13 hours from there visiting the different types of fengsel. I was excited to go there, and wanted to see how it is there but never had any expectations.

The first one we visited was called Tunga and was the jail which was supposed to be more closed than the others. The inmates (as they refer to, as they avoid the usage of the term prisoners ) were supposed to be in their single rooms for 23 hours of the day, and they had only one hour outside that small room of hteirs which had a small tv, a bed, and a writing table and a window. During this one hour, they could play in the football field, go the gym hall or socialise with the others, but that 1 hour a day was all what they were allowed. It was a little strange for me to know that there were inmates in that jail who were actualyl waiting for sentence from the court and were not yet convicted. They are there cause the society considers them harmful for the functioning and wish that they are behind bars for the betterment of the entire society. Also, what was worth appreciation was different programems for these inmates. An inmate, after a certain period, could apply for a module, wherein he can go to the 'in-house' school which gave you a legal graduation, or learn some form of work like mechanics, carpentry, or other things. A way to make them equiped to go out and live when they get the chance to. Also, for different kinds of crimes, there were different ways of dealing. There were seperate counselling and other programmes for people who were convicted under murder charges, for those who were charged for sexual harrassmaent, etc.  

This was one. The next two which we visited were moreover similar, though had minor differences. The next two were the more open jails, that is, they could go out in the mornings for their jobs but have to come back to this jail, at a particular time which is decided by the authorities, and sleep there. So, one actually lives there. And in these jails, if its a child who is in jail, he can go to a regualar school, and dothe normal thigns but has to come back to the jail before 5 or 6pm. And also, not everyone gets to go to these open jails. For example, if Mr. A has been given 21 years sentence (by the way, thats the longest sentence anyone gets, they do not have capital punishment here), he might stay in the 'strict' jail for 15 years, and then apply for the 'open' jails. If his behavior and other things have been fine in these past 15years, then he is shifted to these open jails. Also, in these open jails, if one has the permission, he/she can go for overnight stays ans visits to their families and can also recieve overnight visits as these jails have specially made appartments for accomodating visitors.

There were many things which came up in my mind while and after visiting these jails.

Firstly, was the facilities provided to these criminals. I kept asking why was so much facilities being provided to people who probably killed someone. And I remember Ms. I telling me that they believe here that if you give bad facilities and no food and other related things, you are not helping in making or improving that person. They aim over here to help the person come out of what he did, and make him a better person for the society. Bad handling and facilities might just make him more rebellious to the society. The programmes and other counselling serivices was a part of this for helping him/her.

Secondly, was the concept of these open jails. I kept wondering why anyone will let out criminals in the morning and let them come back and sleep in the jail! What kind of punishement is this? Well, I got another answer for that from Ms. I. Well, she was of the view that if we ket these inmates inside isolation with no social contact for 21 years or any number of years, and then suddenly let them free after those years and expect them to fit back into the society, how practical are we thinking? Its going to be way too hard for a person to get back into the social setup after being completely cut off from it for a number of years! The open jails act as this process of helping them to get back to the society, as a process.

So, now probably I'm a little less surprised seeing pool tables, a big flat screen tv, washing machines to clean clothes and also the facility to iron it, and coke and juice machines in a jail. 

Also, it was intersting to know that people who work in these fengsel/ jails have to go through a special schooling in these for 3 years, only then you can be employed. And we met people who have been working in these jails for 30 years! And thats a long time.. and when we asked how he felt working in a place like that for 30 years, he just said that it was worth it. He said that he felt relived when he met people who were in these jails and now live a completely normal and happy life and often came visiting him to know how he was.

All was a process.
And thats what they believe and focus here,
its a process which needs time and attention, and it should be given that time and attention.